10-Day Danube Cruises
The 10-day journeys give you time to understand life along the Danube from Bucharest to Budapest. Our travelers tell us they love the variety - cycling through Belgrade's old quarters one morning, then exploring Bulgarian hill towns the next day. These longer trips let you visit places many miss, like Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanassi, where you'll share lunch with local families and step inside Orthodox monasteries. People who've taken this route particularly enjoy guided tours and free time to wander through places like Ruse, which has its elegant 1800s buildings, or take side trips to sites such as Vlad the Impaler's tomb.
Insider tips: Recommended 10-day Danube itineraries
Compiled by
MelissaDanube travel expert at TourRadar
10 Days Danube River Cruise, incl. Budapest and Munich
The grand Danube itinerary spans 10 days with 7 nights cruising and 2 hotel nights. From Budapest to Munich, visitors take in 8 ports, including UNESCO treasures like Wachau Valley and Andrássy Avenue, culminating in the legendary Oktoberfest celebration.
- Days 1-2
Budapest
Get to Budapest before 5 PM for ship boarding. Your first evening includes Hungarian folklore shows. Take a light jacket for the evening deck events. The next day starts with a guided tour of Heroes' Square and Buda Castle District. Use your afternoon to climb Gellert Hill. It's a 40-minute walk up but offers stunning Danube views. Plan to reach the top before sunset for the best photos.
- Day 3
Bratislava
You'll reach Slovakia's capital by mid-morning. The Old Town walking tour runs about 2 hours on uneven medieval streets so pack good walking shoes. At 3 PM you'll have coffee and cake with local residents. A nice touch is learning basic Slovak greetings. The locals will appreciate your effort.
- Day 4
Vienna
Start your day at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Get there early to beat the crowds at the Habsburg collections. If you like biking the afternoon tour along Danube Island is perfect for casual riders. You'll pass the famous Prater Ferris wheel which makes for great photos.
- Day 5
Wachau Valley
This UNESCO valley is the most beautiful part of the trip. Visit Göttweig Abbey for wine tasting before sailing past terraced vineyards. You can hike up to Dürnstein Castle ruins in the afternoon. The path is steep but doable. Bring water and good shoes especially if it's been raining.
- Day 6
Passau
Passau sits where three rivers meet: the Danube Inn and Ilz. Take the morning tour to see St. Stephen's Cathedral with Europe's biggest church organ. Cyclists can enjoy the flat well-marked Inn River path in the afternoon.
- Day 7
Regensburg
Take a full day to explore medieval Regensburg. The morning tour includes trying local sausages at the historic Sausage Kitchen by the Stone Bridge. For afternoon activities bike to Walhalla monument on an easy riverside path. Just watch for wind on the return trip.
- Days 8-10
Munich & Oktoberfest
From Regensburg it's 90 minutes to Munich. Tour the city's main spots like Marienplatz and Nymphenburg Palace. For Oktoberfest go early as the tents fill up fast especially on weekends. The festival grounds get crowded so stay with your group and pick an easy-to-find meeting spot.
Danube in Depth 2025|2026|2027
Nine riverside cities from Budapest to Nuremberg showcase their treasures over 10 days. The route encompasses Varkert Bazar, Schonbrunn Palace, and Imperial Castle, complemented by 27 Scenic Freechoice activities and an exclusive Palais Liechtenstein concert.
Danube 10 Day Tour Packages You'll Love
Danube Delights & Oktoberfest
Danube in Depth 2025|2026|2027
Christmastime on the Blue Danube Discovery with 2 Nights in Prague 2026
Danube Classics Vienna 2026
Classical Danube (Passau - Budapest - Passau) MS Fidelio
European Charm GO
Christmas on the Danube featuring a 6-Night Danube River Cruise (Wurzburg to Vienna) (2026) (Holiday)
Oktoberfest & Danube Delights
The Blue Danube Discovery with 2 Nights in Budapest 2026
Highlights of Eastern Europe (2026) (Bucharest to Budapest, 2026)
What people love about 10-day Danube river cruises
- Christmas on the Danube featuring a 6-Night Danube River Cruise (Wurzburg to Vienna) (2026) (Holiday)
We've used Collette now for over 20 years. I have never been disappointed in any of my trips with them. We had planned to go to Italy and South Africa in 2020. Due to Covid-19 both of these trips were cancelled. Collette REFUNDED 100% of our money, they even refunded the insurance! This is unheard of in most of the travel industry. THANK YOU, Collette for taking care of us through the years and also for doing the "right" things always! Collette is the best!
- Danube Classics Vienna 2026
Good itinerary and excellent crew on the ship. The ship would benefit from a lift between decks and a small quiet public area.
- Classical Danube (Passau - Budapest - Passau) MS Fidelio
An excellent moving hotel. The staff was fantastic. The crowd is older but that’s the nature of a river cruise. The beds are very firm. The toilet paper is very rough so bring your own if that’s important to you. The food was delicious. Time in Budapest is limited so if you are not doing the prepared excursions we took a Segway tour which was fantastic and let us see most of the inner city in a short amount of time.